Generally most people stand up to say and to respond to kaddish. Why do we do this? Is there anyone with a minhag to sit for either saying or responding to kaddish and the reason behind doing so?
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1highly related judaism.stackexchange.com/q/9308/759– Double AA ♦Nov 25, 2013 at 1:46
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1Sephardim (sometimes) sit for kaddish. I'm not exactly sure what their rule is for when you sit and when you stand, but they definitely sit sometimes. Conservative Jews also sit for Chatzi Kaddish and Kaddish Shalem if it comes in a time of davening when they were sitting previously and only those reciting Kaddish Yatom and Kaddish D'Rabanan stand in Conservative shuls.– DanielNov 25, 2013 at 2:07
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Telling me what the conservative movement finds acceptable doesn't resolve the question using halachah– DudeNov 25, 2013 at 16:31
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2@user4537 you asked if anybody has a minhag to sit for kaddish and I gave an example of a group with such a minhag. This is a question about minhag, not about halacha. I was not trying to resolve the question anyway. That's why I posted my response as a comment rather than as an answer.– DanielNov 25, 2013 at 18:03
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1@user4537 A minhag is something people do. Also, how do you know this practice of the Conservative movement is based on the Enlightenment? I don't find either sitting or standing for Kaddish to be particularly more enlightening than the other.– Double AA ♦Nov 25, 2013 at 22:55
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1 Answer
The Kitzur Shulchan Aruch in 15:6 states:
Some say that one need not stand for Kaddish.
However, any Kaddish which catches you standing, like after Hallel, one should [remain] standing until after [responding] Yehei Shmei Rabba.
And some say that one should always stand for Kaddish and other Davar SheBiKedusha, since we should learn a Kal VaChomer from Eglon King of Moab, as it states (Shoftim 3:20) and Ehud came to him, etc. and Ehud said [I have] a word from Gcd for you! and he [the King] stood up.
וַיֹּאמֶר אֵהוּד, דְּבַר-אֱ-לֹקים לִי אֵלֶיךָ; וַיָּקָם, מֵעַל הַכִּסֵּא.
So if Eglon King of Moab - who was an idol worshiper - stood up when being told a word of Gcd, how much more so [should we stand], as member of His nation.
And so one should be stringent.
The Sefardim seem to sit for any Kaddish which catches them sitting, even if they have to stand immediately afterwards. Ashkenazim tend to stand for every Kaddish.
answered Nov 25, 2013 at 14:29
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Perhaps one could argue that, while the Qaddish is a Devar SheBiQedushah, it is not a Devar Hashem or the Word of G-d.– LeeApr 8, 2014 at 4:03